


And Mercy To Temper

by Aladayle



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: And the daughter of Shin and the West Supreme Kai, F/M, Reader is a Kai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 02:04:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8037898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aladayle/pseuds/Aladayle
Summary: You are the daughter of the East and West Supreme Kais--unexpected, but not unwelcome. During a meeting with the Supreme Kais of another universe, you meet a young Kai by the name of Zamasu. (A little more will be added to this when relevant chapters take place)





	1. A Rare Gift

**Author's Note:**

> I'm calling East by the accepted "Shin" and because there is no name for the West Supreme Kai, she'll be "West." Yeah, real creative, I know. Names aren't my strong point.
> 
> Setting up the circumstances of "your" birth and a bit of backstory and buildup, but don't worry, it's not all that in this chapter. I may be going through some DBS canon divergence here, but a few liberties had to be taken.

### A Rare Gift

It was no secret that the East and West Supreme Kais were fond of each other.

Shin was the sort who thought it was, but really, all the others knew. His face turned red at the slightest mention of her name, and his normally quiet and studious demeanor shifted to one more open and friendly when she was around to encourage him.

So when enough time passed and their feelings did not diminish, they went to the Grand Supreme Kai to have things made as official as things could be for gods. And the matter was settled.

Your arrival a few hundred years later was entirely unexpected.

It is often remarked that elven children come late and sparsely. Kais of any kind would make such beings look like prolific breeders, as they were rarely if _ever_ fertile. But it was not to say that you were unwanted--quite the opposite, in fact.

They called you their "little golden peach." You never doubted that they loved you, or thought that your presence was disruptive, or that any of the other Kais liked you. The Grand Supreme Kai in particular was like a grandfather; from him you got an appreciation of good food. Never a dull meal with him around. 

But from an early age (or what passed for such in long-lived beings like the Supreme Kais) you had abilities they deemed "normal." You couldn't just make life appear from thin air--but you could encourage it, speed it up. Your mother and father spent a good deal of time instructing you on the use of these talents, and when they could not, the other Supreme Kais would.

And such was your childhood, on through the rough equivalent of teenaged years and into adulthood. But as nice as it was, as loved as you felt, things were...well, they were still somehow lonely. Sometimes you had asked how old your mother and father, and the other Kais, were, but they would never give you an exact number. You'd be shown a seed or acorn or some other thing, and then a large planet or a tree, and told that it took many years for the seed to grow into the flourishing plant, but that they were more than a thousand times older. Sometimes the story of your birth was added in, and you were compared to one of the aforementioned seeds.

So that was why the South Supreme Kai liked to call you "sapling," you'd thought. 

* * *

You shifted a little and looked over the little feast set out on the table nearby. You'd heard talk that an old friend of the Grand Supreme Kai would be coming to see him very shortly, and that he was bringing his apprentice. Your mother had told you that this younger Kai was near to your age, and despite being grateful for the opportunity to meet someone younger than the company you usually had, couldn't help but feel as if this were a set-up.

When this "Gowasu" appeared, he and the Grand Supreme Kai bowed to one another before standing up, smiling--and giving one another a spirited handshake.

"Gowasu, it's been far too long, my friend. When you came to visit the other day, I was just worrying that you'd taken offense to something!"

"What have you ever done that would possibly offend me? Remarked that I could stand to gain weight?"

"You have to admit it...one strong wind and you'd be blown halfway across the universe."

You looked away from the two of them to the green Kai at Gowasu's side.

He happened to glance up at the same time, and your eyes met. You gave a slight bow, as did he.

Unfortunately, this motion was noticed.

"Ah, where are my manners. Zamasu, step forward."

The young green Kai obeyed, and you did so as well. This time, you were able to give a full bow.

A moment later, the South Supreme Kai directed everyone to the feast, and you found yourself seated directly across from Zamasu.

"So you're an apprentice," you said, "What does that mean?"

"I am in training," he replied, "Gowasu will be teaching me what I need to know."

"That sounds interesting. Mother," you asked, looking at West, "Will I be apprenticed?"

"When you are a bit older," West replied as she was placing several rice dumplings on her plate. "Right now we are still working on helping you control your abilities."

"Is that not what one's master is meant to do?" Gowasu asked.

"We simply wished to be careful, is all. Though we have considered it more and more of late. But there are already five of us, you see."

So that was it. You had been told of the "four cardinal directions," of how the universe was split into four quadrants corresponding to those directions, and of the need for someone to oversee those four. What was your place in all of this? Would there be a job for you? Would the others have to share their responsibilities? No, you were sure of that much. They had been tending their parts of the universe for far longer than you could really even count and would be unlikely to want or even need to make room for someone else. Or would they? It was just...hard to say.

"Are you the only Kais where you come from?" you asked Gowasu. You'd been told they came from a different universe...whatever that meant. You would have to study up on that later.

"We are," he replied, nodding.

"And you handle all of the universe on your own?" The very idea was preposterous. How, you wondered, did he manage it?

"Why do you think he's taken on an apprentice?" West laughed.

Gowasu neither seemed amused nor offended. He inclined his head to you, and then glanced over to Zamasu. "You brought the tea, didn't you?" 

"Of course I did," came the reply, "I simply placed the pot on the table while you were talking to (y/n)." In fact, he'd already poured some into eight cups and handed them all out. Except yours. When he got to that one and was handing it to you, you got the feeling (though you didn't look) the rest of them there at the table were watching the two of you. 

Expectantly. 

You accepted the cup but were careful not to let your fingers brush his, the feeling not lessening one iota as you took a sip. 

And then another. 

You shook your head and proceeded to eat, as did everyone else and thankfully, nothing was said.


	2. The Same Boat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The topic of your being apprenticed comes up again and is settled.

### The Same Boat

After that meeting, your parents began training you more extensively. 

"You can speed the process, but what is happening will happen, regardless of your contribution." They both said it to you--often.

"Then why do we do it?" you asked once.

"We have the ability to help life along, to shepherd it, in a way. It would be immoral to do otherwise than use these gifts for their betterment."

"I see. But why do we not intervene more often?" 

"Tyrants will come and go," Shin said, "Empires rise, and fall. This is nothing new, and while it is sad that there is fighting and dying--if we intervened at every bad turn we would soon feel it our right to interfere. The power would go to our heads, and soon enough we would be..." 

"Oh, stop prattling on," West cut in, "What he means to say is, we would topple and empire, and by installing a new leader, the new empire would be ruled by us. The mortals use a different phrase: A kingdom installed by magic will be ruled by magic. Our intervention would never end." 

"So when are we allowed to intervene?" 

"When there are threats of a larger nature. If the stability of time or space itself, or us for that matter, was threatened, then we can intervene." 

"Okay." You still didn't quite understand, but the Grand Supreme Kai often said that it took time for things to process, and that you should not rush learning them. So you decided not to worry about it. 

It was after that day's training session that your mother and father sat down with you at dinner and started talking more openly about your future. 

"You've asked several times if you're going to be apprenticed," Shin said, "Is that still something you are interested in?" 

"Of course I am." you replied. The lessons you had been taught about morality had worked well, but they were only that--lessons. It was easy to be a saint under a glass bell such as you lived, where you were generally not permitted to see mortals unless they were of the lesser variety, like beasts. 

* * *

Several hundred years passed before Gowasu came to visit the Grand Supreme Kai again, and as before, he brought Zamasu. Your ire at this being so obviously an attempt at match-making had faded, and in spite of yourself you were looking forward to seeing the both of them again. 

The dinner began much as the last one had, with one minor change--this time you were seated beside him instead of across from him. 

"How fares your training?" he asked. 

"It's going well," you said. 

"They tell me that you have an easy time with the creation work. Is it true?" 

"I wouldn't call it easy," you replied, shaking your head, "I'm better at that than I am at fighting, so there's a bit of a tradeoff." 

"You have my problem, then. Only in reverse." Zamasu seemed to smile, "The creation work all but eludes me, but I wasn't...recruited...for those skills in the first place." 

"All the same," Gowasu said, "I will be making absolute sure that you don't neglect your training in _that_ area." 

"Of course not." 

"And you, (y/n)," Gowasu's attention shifted to you, "You are not neglecting your fighting skills, are you?" 

"Of course not," you said quickly, "I just have a weak point." 

He seemed to look at your mother and father, and nod. "I have discussed this with your parents, but of course it would be improper to proceed without asking you as well. How would you like to be apprenticed to me?" 

Well, you couldn't say you hadn't suspected it, and your initial inclination was to say no. But after taking a long sip from your teacup, you nodded. "I would like that, yes." 

It was a big change--you'd never even really been off the planet, just watched others from afar. Sheltered--yes, that was the word. 

"Why have you decided to take me on, anyway?" 

"It's simple," Gowasu replied, "Your strength is Zamasu's weakness, and vice versa. It's an ideal situation." 

Hrm. Perhaps they hadn't meant this to be matchmaking at all. Maybe they'd just wanted you to work with someone you could both help and learn from? 

"Are you sure you can take on a second apprentice?" The Grand Supreme Kai laughed, "Old friend, you are quite ambitious." 

"Are you sure you can handle another dumpling?" 

More laughter. 

* * *

They remained for three days, and when they prepared to leave you had a few things packed. 

"Ah, my little girl, properly apprenticed and everything!" West hugged you, and awkwardly, you hugged back. 

"Mother? Can I ask you something? ...why wasn't I apprenticed to any of you here? I thought there were rules against this sort of thing." 

"The lower Kais in universe 10 are having some trouble, and are asking for a bit of help from Gowasu." 

"But won't taking on a new apprentice make things harder for him?" 

"Not especially. He's not going to be with the two of you all the time." 

Right. There was Zamasu to think about. 

"Mom...did you guys plan this this way?" 

"What way?" 

"It''s just that...ever since you mentioned Zamasu, I've gotten the feeling that...well, that you were trying to play matchmaker or something." 

"...what?" Shin looked at West and they both burst into laughter. 

Now you felt less suspicious...but certainly sheepish. 

"No. Good heavens, no. We just thought that the you would each benefit from the other's presence. Your strengths are the other's weakness, and you're closer in age to each other than you are to any of the rest of us." 

"We wouldn't dream of trying that sort of thing," Your mother smiled. "If it happens that way, it happens that way, but it's not our intent." 

"I'm really relieved, then." You hugged them both and then turned to leave. 

"Poor girl," Shin shook his head once you were out of earshot. 

"But they would be good for each other, wouldn't they?" 

"Don't start, West." 

"I just get the feeling, is all," she replied with a laugh, "So I made a joke, what are you going to do? Kill me?"


	3. Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While helping Zamasu, something happens...and you're not sure what to think of it. Neither is Gowasu.

### Spark

Gowasu's means of teaching you was somewhat different than you expected. True, he taught you the fighting, and creation work, much as he did with Zamasu. He had you watch the mortal worlds, as your parents had done with you. 

But on occasion, he would have either you or Zamasu teach one another. 

Most of the time it was you being taught better fighting skills. You advanced relatively well in that respect. But when it came to his creation skills...they lagged. 

* * *

"Today I have to spend some time helping a few of the newer planets develop," Gowasu said, "I expect you to help Zamasu again today, once you have had a training session of your own." 

You bowed briefly. "Of course." 

The training session was mercifully short. Although you continued to improve...fighting just wasn't something you could much interest yourself in. But you persevered, because Zamasu, despite being utterly miserable at creation, did so as well. 

He wasn't going to best you. At least, in that. 

Once you'd had a lunch, you both went to have a look at one of the "planets" which Gowasu had assigned to the two of you for practice. It was a nigh-barren chunk of rock and metal and more resembled a giant meteor than an actual planet. 

"This one again," Zamasu said, "I don't think this will ever be anything more than a chunk of stone." 

"It's good practice, though." 

"True." He moved his hand over the crystal orb you were both watching through, and shut his eyes. 

He shattered it first. That part was easy. The resulting debris was pulling together, and Zamasu started to make a sort of stirring movement with his hand. Faster the cloud of little rocks moved... 

After an hour's work, and a slow rotation of the bundle of rocks around a weak-looking sun, he opened his eyes again. 

"There, you see?" you said, "You're doing very well today." 

"It's not this part that eludes me," he said, "It's what comes next." 

"You don't have to do it all at once," you said, "Atmosphere's tricky." 

"I should be able to handle it myself by now." 

You looked up and gave a slight smile. "You can't expect to be perfect. You're still learning." 

Zamasu grumbled slightly, and put his hand back over the orb. You then put your hand atop his. 

"What--" 

"Let me just help you a bit," you replied, "Two is better than one, isn't it?" 

"That may be so in many respects, but..." 

"...not this one? Let's just try it once. It would be easier to have two when working on the atmosphere anyway." 

"Fine." 

You shut your eyes, and saw in your mind's eye the still-growing mass of varied rocks. You felt Zamasu's will in the formation, and began to put your own forward as well. Faster the mass rotated. You could almost feel the warmth of a core in its very center, and... 

...and... 

A bolt of... _something_...surged suddenly up your arm like a bolt of lightning, and your eyes snapped open. What you saw, you suspected he was as well. 

There was a soft blue glow outlining his body; tendrils of which were focused on the two of your hands that were touching, wrapping about them like an overlarge ribbon. His hair was waving about, much like it would with a present aura while powering up. The glow built to a near-blinding brilliance, and from there, though neither you nor Zamasu could look away from each other to see it, the planet's progress began to surge. 

The sun the planet was orbiting burst into enlivened radiance, and the little chunk of rock felt its warmth. It began to turn, bringing shadow and light to all its sides in turn as it rotated. An atmosphere began to form, and then water. Dry land, and water... 

Pain radiated up and down your arm and through your body, but you were no more capable of withdrawing your hand than Zamasu was. The world fell away, and all that remained was the two of you. 

Had you been aware, you would have felt then, rather than saw, something new. 

Life. 

It could be no more than bacteria, but within the seas of the developing world, there they were! 

The wild growth continued, and somewhere, you heard a voice...but even as the glow at your hands continued and the teeming life expanded, you heard a shout, and everything went black. 

* * *

"(Y/n)?" 

You groaned. 

"(Y/n)...are you alright?" 

The voice was Gowasu's, and when you sat up to answer him you found your head swimming. ' 

"What...what happened?" 

"You formed a life-bearing planet in about three and a half hours, is what happened," he said, "Each milestone is meant to take a day at your level, but the two of you managed it in much less." 

"Three and a half hours? It felt like three and a half minutes, at the most! Did...was it from my helping him?" 

"No," Gowasu replied, "At least, I don't think so." 

"What do you think it is?" 

"One thing I am absolutely sure of. There was a link there. Could you move at all while that was happening?" 

"No," you replied, "I couldn't. It was like something had bound our hands together...and I could see nothing but him." 

"Perhaps we should speak with your parents on this matter," he replied, "It has only been a year, but a visit would not hurt either of us." 

"I'd like that. But...if I can ask, where's Zamasu? Is he alright?" 

"He's fine. Perhaps a little woozy," Gowasu laughed. "He was up before you." 

"How long...?" 

"A day." 

"AN ENTIRE DAY?!" 

"Please, try not to get overexcited. You're quite alright; I think perhaps Zamasu may have benefited from the experience. His skill in creation seems to have taken a definite upswing." 

"I'm glad one of us did," you said, grumbling a bit. 

"Here, now. Get out of bed," Gowasu said, "At the very least, you should eat something." 

As you got out of bed and stood, he put his hand out, and you took it to steady yourself. When he offered his arm, your intent was to wave him off, that you were fine to walk on your own. 

What happened was that your "light" touch against his arm sent him flying through the wall. 

"Yes," Gowasu said as he stood, rubbing at his aching forearm, "We definitely need to see your parents."


End file.
